A spokeswoman for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia said a statement would be issued shortly.
The United Nations provides logistical and medical support to the 17,500-strong African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia. An official with the force said no peacekeeping troops were on the helicopter.
A Western diplomat said no American citizens were onboard. Both also spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Al-Shabab has control over swaths of Somalia, though government forces, supported by the A.U. peacekeeping force and clan militias, have clawed back territory from the insurgent group in recent years.
Galguduud has been a key battleground, where increasingly strong clan militias opposed to al-Shabab’s harsh interpretation of Islamic law have repeatedly clashed with the insurgency.
Hundreds of U.S. troops are also present in the Horn of Africa nation, where they train the elite Somali special forces and carry out airstrikes and missions.
Somalia has been torn apart by civil war since 1991, when clan-based warlords overthrew dictator Mohammed Siad Barre, then turned on each other.
Wednesday’s capture of the helicopter and its crew is likely to evoke memories of the capture of a U.S. military crew when their Blackhawk helicopter was shot down over Mogadishu, the capital, in 1993.
Al-Shabab has frequently seized foreign hostages, including medical staff, and kept them in captivity for years. In 2018, they kidnapped a German nurse working with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Mogadishu. She has never been recovered.
David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
